Legendary singer Shirley Bassey will present an award at this weekend’s Olivier Awards with MasterCard it has been announced, as further details of the 40th anniversary ceremony are revealed.
Bassey will be joined by fellow newly announced star presenters Rob Brydon, Stephen Campbell Moore, Jim Carter, Adam Cooper, Noma Dumezweni, Alfred Enoch, Luke Evans, David Gandy, Emma Hatton, Lenny Henry, Eddie Izzard, Beverley Knight, James Norton, Savannah Stevenson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Luke Treadaway and Barbara Windsor, all of whom will have the privilege of revealing who has won one of the 27 awards set to be presented at the Royal Opera House on Sunday.
As always, the ceremony will not only feature prize-giving but a sensational line-up of exclusive performances from nominated shows and guest performers.
As previously announced, Grammy and Tony Award winner Cyndi Lauper will perform, with the Olivier Awards today confirming the popstar will perform both on her own and in a unique collaboration with Kinky Boots.
As well as Jack Savoretti’s previously announced Shakespeare tribute performance, there will also be a very special number to mark the awards’ 40th anniversary featuring Joe Stilgoe, Michael Feinstein, former Olivier Award-winning performers Sharon D Clarke, Daniel Evans, Leigh Zimmerman and 2016’s award’s host and two-time Olivier Award winner Michael Ball.
The evening will include performances from all four Best Musical Revival nominees, Gypsy – which will open the show with a number starring Olivier Award nominee Imelda Staunton – Bugsy Malone, Guys And Dolls and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, as well as the productions vying for this year’s coveted MasterCard Best New Musical Award: Bend It Like Beckham, In The Heights, Kinky Boots and Mrs Henderson Presents.
Theatre fans can watch all the performances and winners’ acceptances speeches live in Covent Garden Piazza as the ceremony is streamed on big screens with the return of the ITV Stage.
As part of the public celebration, musical theatre stars Carrie Hope Fletcher and Daniel Boys will present an evening of performances from 17:00 to 18:30, including appearances from the Magic Radio Audience Award nominated shows – Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Matilda The Musical and The Phantom Of The Opera – and American Idiot, Breakin’ Convention Hip Hop Dance Festival: Myself UK and Pro-Motion and West End Blend Choir. West End favourite Kerry Ellis will also perform a number from the recently announced Murder Ballad, in which she will star this autumn at the Arts Theatre.
Official London Theatre will be at the awards on Sunday, so make sure to follow this website for regular news updates and on Twitter @O_L_T to be the first to know who has won. You can also listen live on Mellow Magic, watch extended highlights from the ceremony on ITV at 22:15, the ceremony in full on 4 April on ITV3 at 23:00 or catch up on either broadcast for the following 30 days on ITV Hub.
